Rangers drop fourth straight

Kitchener Rangers

BELLEVILLE – The message was received. But the result remained the same.

The Kitchener Rangers dropped their fourth consecutive game in a 3-2 decision to the Belleville Bulls Saturday night at the Yardmen Arena.

The loss was the second in two days and came on the heels of some critical comments from acting coach Paul Fixter, who is filling in for skipper and general manager Steve Spott while he guides Canada at the world junior hockey championships in Ufa, Russia.

Friday, Fixter said he was “disgustingly disappointed” with the Rangers’ performance after the club lost 4-1 to the Barrie Colts at the Aud to cap a winless month on home ice.

The effort was there Saturday, but it didn’t translate into a victory as the Rangers closed out December with a 2-4-0-3 record.

“I called them out and they responded,” said Fixter. “I thought our energy level was good. Unfortunately, it’s a results-orientated business. And in order to get wins you have to score goals.”

Snowy weather meant a four-hour bus ride to the Yardmen Arena, but the Rangers looked surprisingly spry to start the game.

The team peppered Belleville goalie Charlie Graham with 15 first-period shots, but couldn’t solve the second-year netminder who was filling in for starter Malcolm Subban who is away tending net for Canada at the world junior tournament.

Despite the assault, it was Belleville who headed into the break with a 1-0 lead after Bulls winger Michael Curtis capitalized on the power play.

Kitchener’s Keli Grant stuffed in the equalizer in the second frame but, again, the Rangers fell behind while shorthanded when Brendan Gaunce tipped in a Stephen Silas point shot with 13 seconds to go until intermission.

A third period marker by Belleville’s Jake Cardwell – with the teams playing four-on-four – ended any thoughts of a comeback, even with Grant’s second of the game in the waning minutes.

“Congratulations to Keli Grant, but we need other guys to score goals,” said Fixter. “It has been just too long where some guys haven’t scored goals. They know who they are.”

Several Rangers are struggling, namely Matia Marcantuoni who is scoreless in the past eight games, Brent Pedersen, scoreless in his last seven games and veteran Domenic Alberga, who has one goal in his past 11 contests.

Assistant captain Ben Fanelli said the time for talking is done.

“We’ve said everything we can,” said the blueliner. “Guys have to dig deeper within themselves. That’s what it’s going to take to get out of this. This group is more than capable and that’s why it’s so frustrating.”

Despite the slump, Fixter isn’t panicking.

“Teams go through tough times and we’re definitely going through one,” he said. “We still believe in one another and that’s the important thing. They care. If they didn’t we’d be in trouble.”

Forward Matt Puempel sat out Saturday’s game with a tender shoulder. The Ottawa Senators draft pick had returned to action Friday after missing eight games with an injury to the same shoulder.

Defenceman Jared Gilbert missed his second straight game with the flu while goalie John Gibson, captain Ryan Murphy and forwards Radek Faksa and Tobias Rieder remain away at the world junior tourney.